Frame for doors of post office look boxes



(No Model.)

B H. CAMP. FRAME FOR DOORS OP POST OFFICE LOOK BOXES. No. 409,559.Patented Aug. 20, 1889.

UNITE STATES ATENT FFICIE.

BUSHROD H. CAMP, OF NE\V BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE CORBINCABINET LOCK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FRAME FOR DOORS OF POST=OFFICE LOCK-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,559, dated August20, 1889.

Application filed September 27, 1888- Serial No. 286,489. (No model.)

To whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BUSHROD ll. CAMP, of New Britaimin the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Frames for Doors of Post-Cffice Lock-Boxes; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in the frames for doors of lockletter-boxes, the object being to afford a more reliable means for theattachment of the metal frames to the front faces of the series of boxesto which they are connected on the front end, thus se curing the framesand attacheddoors from improper removal to rob the box of its contents.

With this object in view my invention consists of certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts, which will be more fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims. Referring to the drawings,Figure 1 is a front elevation of a door-frame and door in lockedadjustment on it. Fig. 2 represents two door frames with the doorsremoved, showing the method of securing these frames in series on thefront ends of the boxes. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of one of thedoorfralnes. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the adj acent edges of twoframes, representing a plan view of one of the bolts employed infastening the edges together. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view in sectionof one of the screws employed to hold the adjacent top and bottom edgesof the door-frames together.

lleretofore in the construction of the metal frames that support thedoors of post-office lock-boxes the usual mode of attaching the framesto the fronts of said boxesconsists in the notching of the adjacentedges of the frame at proper points in such form that when these edgesare joined the orifice produced by any two opposite notches forms ascrew-hole for the reception of a bevel-head screw, the hole beingcountersunk to allow the head of the screw to seat level with the outersurface of the adjacent frames.

In the attachment of door frames that are provided with the screw-holesmade as stated it has been found that the aflixing of the screws inplace will, by the wedging action of their heads, spreadthe adjoiningedges of the frames, so that a crevice is formed in which a flattenedlever may be inserted between these edges of the frames and they beforced from their position. This method of attachment is furtherobjectionable, in that it prevents a neat juncture of the edges of theframes, and a disfigurement to the entire front results.

My invention totally overcomes the objectionable features mentioned in asimple and practical manner, as will be demonstrated by a detaileddescription which will now be given.

A is one of a series of similar door-frames that are affixed to thefront edges of post-office lock-boxes and serve to support the doors,which close the boxes by a hinged attachment of the doors to the frames.The frames A consist each of a rectangular metallic border strip of aproper size to it upon the walls of the box to which they are attached,and such relative breadth of face is given to said frames that the doorsB, which are hinged at a, will abut properly upon the frames and leave amarginal edge around the doors, as shown in Fig. l.

Each side bar of the frames A is provided with a projection or car a,which is only onehalf the thickness of the frame, one surface of theframe and car being cutawayto form an open recess 7) on one side of theframe. The cars or projections a are so arranged that their outersurfaces will be flush with one side or surface of one side bar andflush with the opposite side or surface of the other side bar, and hencethe recesses b will be formed on opposite surfaces of the two side barsof the frame. By this construction the ear CL on one frame will overlapthe ear to on the adjacent frame and fit into the recess 1) formedtherein, so that when a series of frames are secured in place theirsurfaces will be in the same plane and produce an evenand level. frontsurface on the series of frames, while the cars a on adjacent frameswill overlap each other.

The cars a are constructed to afford means for the secure attachment ofthe adjacent side edges of adjoining frames together and upon the frontof the pigeon-hole boxes, and to effect this the ears are perforated,square holes 0 being formed that receive the bolts D, the constructionof which will now be described.

The bolts D are all of similar form, and are of such a length that wheninserted in place they will extend through holes made in the walls 0 ofthe wooden boxes to permit the nuts d to be adjusted upon their threadedrear ends, and thus secure the framesin place upon the front of theboxes.

It Will be seen that the portions of the bolts D which are adjacent tothe rounded fiat heads 6 of the bolts are square in cross-section toallow them to be inserted and fit within the holes 0, which will preventthe bolts from turning, and thus facilitate the adjustment of the-nutsd, as previously mentioned.

On the top and bottom edges of adjoining door-frames A, near the centerof Width of the same, the holes J are formed, which are located one halfon each frame edge, so that when these edges are in contact the holeswill be adapted to receive securing-screws f, that are inserted in thewooden walls 0 of the pigeon-hole boxes.

Reference to Fig. 5 will show the form of the screws f. The bodies ofsaid screws are cut in the usual Way to form a wood-screw withgimlet-point.

The heads of the wood-screws f are cupped out on their lower surface toproduce an annular groove 7t, with a sloping wall that by itsjunction'with the body of the screw provides an angular recess, intowhich the mating projecting coniform bottom wall of the countersunkportion of the holes g neatly fits, so that when the screws are fullyinserted into place by a screw-driver inserted in the notches of theheads the impinging surface of the bolt-head will draw the adjacentedges of the door-frames A together in an obvious manner.

It is apparent from the form of construction, hereinbefore described, ofthe securing-bolts D and the screws f that. the frames A will be firmlyheld to the front edges of the boxes, and the adjoining edges of alladjacent frames will be forced to impinge against each other when theframes are attached t0 the boxes.

The doors B are hinged in the usual manner and secured by any properform of lock. The preferred form of lock employed and the legend-platethat exhibits the number of the box are the subjects of other patents.It will therefore be unnecessary to give a detailed description of thesame in this connection.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A lock-box frame having its sides provided with laterally projectingperforated ears or projections, the said ears or projections adapted tooverlap corresponding ears or projections on the next adjacent frame,substantially as set forth.

2. A lock-box frame having its sides constructed with outwardly-projectin g perforated ears, the frame being provided with recesses on itsside opposite the ears, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a series of lockbox frames, each provided withoutwardlyprojecting perforated ears and constructed with recessesopposite the ears, whereby the ear on one frame overlaps the ear on theopposite frame and fits within the recess formed in the latter, offastening-bolts, each con structed with an angular shank in cross-seetion that fits within the angular perforations in the overlapping ears,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a series of doorframes, the adjacent edges ofwhich are provided with countersunk screw-holes, one-half of thecountersink and opening being formed in each edge, the bottom of eachcountersink constituting a conical projection, of fasteningscrews, eachhaving a conical recess formed on the under side of its head,substantially as set forth.

5. In a post-oflice lock-box, the combination, with a series of frameshaving perforated overlapping ears and holes that are formed in theedges of adjacent frames, the countersinks of which holes havecone-shaped bottoms,of screw-bolts that are formed to fit squared holesin the ears of the frames, and screws that are cupped on the lower facesof their heads to mate the cone-shaped recesses of the countersunk holesin the edges of the frames, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signedthis specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

BUSIIROD H. CAMP. Witnesses:

G. E. Roor, A. N. ABBE.

